Chelsea/Route 1 Viaduct Rehabilitation Program

HNTB was asked to develop the concepts, design and permit the Chelsea/Route 1 Viaduct on an accelerated schedule and successfully delivered these services in one year. The goal was to complete this project on the heavily-traveled Route 1 with minimal impacts to the traveling public.

The project area was within an Environmental Justice (EJ) community based on the proportion of minority and low-income populations living in the community. HNTB prepared a comprehensive EJ analysis detailing study area characteristics and assessed potential impacts to the community, including displacements, access and travel patterns, community cohesion, air quality, water quality, noise, and hazardous materials. The analysis provided a detailed overview of the state and federal regulatory context for EJ and proposed mitigation measures.

Using the EJ analysis as a guiding document, HNTB oversaw a robust community outreach program to provide all stakeholders the opportunity to learn and comment on the project. As part of this project, HNTB engaged multiple local advocacy organizations, providing their leadership and members with opportunities to have a dialogue with the project team in their community spaces. HNTB led MassDOT’s first all-Spanish public meeting and assisted with translation services throughout the outreach process. HNTB attended meetings with city officials, special interest groups and the public, and wrote a detailed response on behalf of MassDOT to address concerns of the local EJ organization. 

The public involvement process itself was essential to the success of the project.